Former Seattle Mariners Farmhand and Major League All-Star Retires After Time in KBO

Shin-Soo Choo, who briefly got up to the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners, is retiring after a great all-around professional career.

REDS. Cincinnati Reds' outfielders Shin-Soo Choo, left, Chris Heisey, center, and Ryan Ludwick head to the clubhouse following batting practice in the indooe facility at the Cincinnati Reds' spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona Wednesday February 20, 2013. / Gary Landers, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former Seattle Mariners farmhand and prospect Shin-Soo Choo took his final professional at-bat on Monday while playing in the KBO at the age of 42.

Per Talkin' Baseball on social media:

42 year old Shin-Soo Choo has played his final KBO game, officially retiring from professional baseball

42 year old Shin-Soo Choo has played his final KBO game, officially retiring from professional baseball 🫡 pic.twitter.com/WkuFIogUfo

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 30, 2024

Choo began his professional career with the Mariners, making his debut in 2005 and playing with the M's for a portion of 2006 as well. All in all, he played just 14 games for Seattle before being dealt to the Cleveland Indians for Ben Broussard.

The trade of Choo is one of multiple regretful trades that the Mariners made in that time period. They also traded away future All-Star Adam Jones to the Baltimore Orioles just a few years after dealing Choo.

Jones posted about Choo as well:

This is awesome. We came up together in the Mariners org. When I Tell U Shin-Soo Choo is awesome. That’s an understatement. Him and Cha-seung Baek would have me over for Korean food. . Congrats on a fantastic career

This is awesome. We came up together in the Mariners org. When I Tell U Shin-Soo Choo is awesome. That’s an understatement. Him and Cha-seung Baek would have me over for Korean food. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Congrats on a fantastic career https://t.co/XDdXVvJMmA

— 10 (@SimplyAJ10) September 30, 2024

Choo played 16 years in the big leagues with the Mariners, Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. Lifetime, he was a .275 hitter with 218 homers and 782 RBI. He made the All-Star Game in 2018 with Texas at the age of 35.

He played 77 games in the KBO this year with SSG. He's played with them for the last four years since leaving the majors. He hit .282 this season with five homers and 37 RBI. He had 54 homers in the KBO in the last four years.

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